Trump hails "historic" Kim-Moon meeting

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday called the meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, "historic".

"After a furious year of missile launches and nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place," Trump tweeted.

Speaking of the inter-Korean declaration to transform the armistice into a peace treaty, Trump said the United States and all of its people should be very proud of what is now happening on the Korean Peninsula.

He also thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for the progress, saying, "Without him it would have been a much longer, tougher, process!"

Mike Pompeo, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new secretary of state on Thursday, met with Kim earlier this month in his capacity as CIA chief. The meeting was confirmed on April 18 by Trump, who tweeted that it "went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed."

Pompeo's trip aimed to lay the groundwork for direct talks between Trump and Kim, which are expected to take place in May or early June. Enditem